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A bleak west wind, soldiers and horses rushing forth, the lush Lüliang Mountains, mountains and waters roiling tumultuously.
Xiangling County town was built on a flat plain between the Fen River and the Lüliang Mountains, considered a city with relatively ideal terrain on the entire Loess Plateau.
The Lüliang Mountain Range is a transitional range between the Loess Plateau and the Ji Province plains, forming a natural barrier between Ji Province and Bingzhou alongside the Taihang Mountains.
Due to millennia of erosion by water, the Lüliang Mountains, like the Taihang Mountains, are segmented into multiple sections. The northern section divides into two parallel ranges running east-west. The eastern range is Yunzhong Mountain, the western range comprises Luya Mountain and Guancen Mountain, with the Jingle Basin sandwiched between them, serving as the watershed between the Sanggan River and the Fen River system.
Controlling Xiangling blocked the White Wave Army's southward path and also hindered their access to the Taiyuan region via the Lüliang mountain trails, thereby restricting the entire White Wave Army's operational range.
Lu Chang led a contingent of troops advancing at full speed towards Xiangling County town.
A personal guard reminded Lu Chang, "Assistant Governor Lu, should we send out some scouts? Our speed is a bit too fast…"
The guard didn't continue. After all, in this terrain, with a river on one side and mountains on the other, if ambushed, the consequences would be extremely severe.
Lu Chang panted heavily; each breath was a struggle for him. Originally somewhat corpulent, the long-distance gallop, coupled with not even using a carriage to save time, caused unbearable pain from prolonged chafing between his legs. Moreover, the physical exertion was immense; his entire chest felt like it was burning.
"…It's fine! Just ten more li and we're there!" Lu Chang considered for a moment, then said, "If the Yellow Turban bandits had already taken Xiangling, we would have encountered fleeing refugees on the road by now. Since we haven't seen any, Xiangling should still be in our hands. Increase speed; aim to reach Xiangling before sunset!"
Unless some Yellow Turban bandits crossed the Fen River and circled around, but that possibility was extremely slim…
"Understood!" The guard also breathed a sigh of relief, responded loudly, then rode to the front of the column, shouting and boosting morale, urging the troops to maintain their rapid pace.
Just ten li from Xiangling—about a little over an hour's journey. Although spring days weren't very long, at this speed, they should reach Xiangling before dark.
Lu Chang's troops were advancing along the official road when suddenly they saw several large boulders that had somehow fallen from the mountaintop, now lying across the road, blocking about seventy to eighty percent of the path towards Xiangling, leaving only a narrow gap where people could barely climb over the rocks one by one.
"What's happening?!" Lu Chang, sensing the column slowing down, urged his horse from the middle section to the front.
"Reporting, Assistant Governor, fallen rocks from the mountainside block the path…"
"Clear them!" Lu Chang ordered.
Landslides weren't uncommon, as the Han Dynasty didn't have specific projects to reinforce slopes, so such incidents did occur occasionally.
But Lu Chang suddenly felt a deep unease and couldn't help looking around from his saddle.
Logically, this place wasn't far from Xiangling. If the White Wave Army intended to ambush, there were many better ambush spots along the earlier sections of the road, yet those places were empty.
On the other hand, it seemed unreasonable for the White Wave Army to ambush here. They hadn't seen any fleeing refugees nor encountered Xiangling's troops along the way, so it was unlikely the White Wave Army had bypassed Xiangling to reach this point…
However, these boulders were too large and bore many soil marks, unlike naturally weathered rocks that had simply slid down. They seemed more like rocks deliberately pried out from the earth…
The conflicting signs left Lu Chang momentarily unable to judge.
The Fen River gurgled on one side, while the Lüliang Mountains remained eerily silent. Lu Chang's soldiers struggled to pry the rocks using wooden poles and other tools…
Suddenly, Lu Chang recalled passages from military texts and shouted loudly, "Shield and sword soldiers, raise shields to the left! Archers and crossbowmen, prepare!"
The sudden command threw the soldiers into some disarray, but through habitual training, they began to execute Lu Chang's orders.
The mountain wind moaned, suddenly interspersed with sharp whistling sounds. Dark streaks shot from the ridgeline above, arriving in an instant.
Thud-thud-thud sounds erupted abruptly, instantly blossoming crimson flowers of blood within Lu Chang's ranks. Screams rose and fell. The shield and sword soldiers, having just turned, hadn't formed a shield wall yet when arrows raining from the mountains sent men and horses tumbling…
"Raise shields! Raise shields! Archers, suppress fire!" Lu Chang hastily dismounted, hiding behind his horse, shouting commands.
Figures had somehow appeared on the ridgeline, hiding behind trees and bushes, shooting arrows down from their elevated position. Lu Chang's archers returned sporadic fire, either blocked by trees or lacking range, basically ineffective.
"Rear ranks become vanguard! Withdraw!" Seeing the situation turning sour, Lu Chang no longer cared about clearing the boulders and ordered a retreat from this arrow-rain-covered area…
But before they had gone a hundred meters, they ran headlong into enemy troops coming to block their retreat. The entire column was immobilized.
"Kill! Kill! Spearmen forward, charge forward! Charge!" Lu Chang commanded. In such situations, they needed to quickly cut a path through. The longer they stayed, the greater the danger.
Unfortunately, Lu Chang's disorganized rear ranks weren't prepared to resist attacks from behind. Instantly forming an assault formation was extremely difficult. Soldiers jostled each other, some pushing forward, others retreating, becoming a chaotic mess…
"Kill!"
The enemy troops blocking the retreat showed no intention of letting them pass. Two lines of shield and sword soldiers backed by a line of spearmen, with archers behind launching volleys, tightly blocked the official road, advancing step by step in an orderly, disciplined, forest-like formation.
Watching the methodical, advancing enemy troops, a furious rage suddenly burned in Lu Chang's chest: "These are definitely not Yellow Turban bandits! Not Yellow Turban bandits!"
It wasn't impossible for Yellow Turban bandits to fight desperately, but for them to form such an orderly battle array was extremely difficult. This was something only long-trained soldiers could achieve!
Under the dual assault from front and flank, Lu Chang's troops were quickly slaughtered, leaving only a few personal guards holding large shields, forming a tight circle around Lu Chang. But it was already too late; total annihilation was merely a matter of time…
Lu Chang's furious voice rang out: "Traitors! Traitors to the state! You are all traitors to the state and will die with no place to bury your bones!"
A black-robed commander among the enemy forces gave a scornful smile and waved his hand.
The advancing shield and sword soldiers halted about thirty paces from Lu Chang's guards. A voice came from behind them: "Surrender swiftly and spare your lives!"
Sheltered by his guards, Lu Chang secretly untied the official seal and ribbon hanging from his waist. With a bitter laugh, he said, "The Fanyang Lu clan has never had those who kneel in servility! If death comes, then so be it. No need for more words! Kill!"
The few remaining guards scattered with a roar, launching a desperate charge alongside Lu Chang!
But they hadn't gone more than a few steps when they were felled by arrows. Lu Chang himself took several arrows and collapsed face-up on the ground…
A soldier who looked like a squad leader walked to Lu Chang's corpse, bent down, and searched. "N-no… no official seal! He doesn't have the official seal on him!"
"What?" The black-robed commander pushed through the soldiers, walked over, frowning as he looked at Lu Chang's corpse lying face-up. The place on his belt where the official seal and ribbon should have been hung was indeed empty…
"Search! Search for it!" the black-robed commander roared angrily.
A soldier suddenly spoke: "Just now… it seemed something… flew into the river…"
"What?!" The black-robed commander rushed to the roadside. Below the cliff by the official road, the Fen River rushed on, its waters turbulent. Where could any trace of the official seal be seen now…